22
by Violet Beatrice Baudelaire
Summary: SLASH.Mark is sitting at home, feeling low after a bad breakup with Bridget. He gets a visitor, but it is not who he was hoping it would be. Instead of Bridget, it's Daniel who is on his doorstep...


**A/N: I totally support Bridget/Mark but the idea of Mark/Daniel is intriguing to me too since I am a fan of slash. I hope you enjoy reading this oneshot. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, I'm just a fan of the movies**

**WARNINGS: Some swearing **

Mark Darcy sighed heavily. He was sitting alone at home wondering if he had messed up his relationship with Bridget for good this time. They had not spoken in months. In his hands, he held a glass tumbler. The tumbler was half filled with a very fine Scotch, and it was not the first drink he had consumed that evening. Truth be told, it was his second drink. He might have another. Yes. If he wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol, then it was his choice. Although, he was going to have a pounding headache in the morning and he did have a deposition to attend. Besides, getting drunk alone was not fun. He had only been drunk once in his life, and it been a horrid experience - he had gotten violently sick all over his mother's Persian rug and suffered from a terrible hangover. Mark drained his glass. Bridget, who was probably smoking heavily again. Not that she had ever really quit smoking. She was just sweet enough to pretend she had quit, for his sake. Still, at least when she was with him she did cut back on her cigarette intake. They were so different, but that was what was so wonderful. He loved her, and if he had lost her he did not think he could bear it. Bloody Daniel Cleaver. This was all his fault. Even when Daniel was not around, the man had the remarkable ability to ruin Mark's life. What if Bridget was with him now? Surely not. She wouldn't be so naïve as to get sucked back into his lies. She would never go back to him, would she? Then again, she had done it once before.

The argument that had led up to their split had revolved around that cheating bastard. Mark wished he could take back a lot of what he had said on that day. He and Bridget had fought before, but it had never gotten so serious. He sighed heavily when he heard the soft chime of his doorbell. It took a real effort to push himself up from the couch. The drinks had made him feel weary. Mark set the glass down on a side table and slowly made his way to the front door. Could it be Bridget? Who else would call at such a late hour? A small smile appeared on his face at the idea of seeing Bridget again. When he had opened the door, his smile faded away to nothing when he saw who was on his doorstep.

It was Daniel Cleaver. The man was a mess. His black suit was ripped and streaked with dirt, like he had been rolling around in a muddy field. He had a black eye and a busted lip. His bright blue eyes were glassy, and he was swaying slightly. There was an almost childlike smile on his face, and blood was trickling from his nose.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mark asked.

Daniel laughed, his eyes training on the tall, dark eyed man standing in front of him with a hostile expression. "Marky, Marky , Mark. My old pal. My friend...I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd stop by. Surprise you" He came forward, as if he expected Mark to invite him.

Mark blocked his path, shoving Daniel backwards. "We're _not_ friends anymore_"_ Mark snapped. "How do you even know where I live now? Who told you I moved here?"

Daniel shrugged, not seeming perturbed at all as Mark pushed him away. He chuckled as he clasped his hands onto the lapels of Mark's striped pyjama shirt, practically leaning against the other man and causing Mark to have to take a step back so he didn't lose his balance. "That's...Well, that's a funny story actually. Too long to tell you right now. Come on, let me in. It's bloody freezing out here"

They were close enough that Mark caught the scent of Daniel's cologne and surprisingly he did not get overpowered by the smell of alcohol although it was present, lingering on Daniel's breath. "Good. I should just let you stay out here in the cold"

Daniel smirked at him then, and Mark had an urge to punch him but restrained himself. "But you won't do that Mark. Because you're just this great, nice guy. I fucked our friendship up for good, I know that..."

Mark sighed, detaching his pyjama shirt from Daniel's grasp and stepping aside so Daniel could stumble into the house. "Come with me. I'll show you to the guest room"

"Don't walk so bloody fast" Daniel called out from behind Mark as they approached the stairs.

Mark turned back, eyeing Daniel up and down with a frown on his face. "Right. You go first. I don't want you to trip and break your neck. That would be a shame"

"Ah. So you do care! " Daniel replied, outstretching his arms to Mark. "Come on. Let's just hug it out..."

"_Don't_ even think about it" Mark warned, moving back as Daniel tried to embrace him. "Just hurry up. And please stop talking to me"

"I know you and Bridget broke up"

Mark went rigid for a few moments. "I don't want to talk about it, especially not with you Cleaver" He grabbed hold of Daniel's arm and pulled him forwards, up the stairs.

Daniel went willingly, leaning against Mark. "I can help you get her back"

"What can I do to make you be quiet?" Mark hissed. "Are you hard of hearing? Did I not just say I don't want to discuss it?" Mark was relieved when they reached the guest bedroom. He pushed Daniel inside then walked out, slamming the door shut behind him. "Fuck..." All Mark wanted to do was go to his room and try to sleep, to pretend that Daniel was not even there. Yet he could not do it. Mark was not sure how much alcohol Daniel had consumed and thought it would be best to keep a close eye on him. Just in case he choked on his own vomit or something equally horrendous. It was an unlikely scenario but even so, Mark felt like it was his duty to look after Daniel. Despite how Daniel had betrayed him, Mark had been sad to lose their friendship. Not that it was something he would ever admit to anyone. Besides, it was simply the right thing to do. Yes, of course it was. So he went into the room. Daniel was sitting on the bed, attempting to get undressed. So far he had taken off his shoes which had been tossed onto the floor and now he was struggling to undo his tie. Mark set the shoes neatly together by the end of the bed. Then he swatted Daniel's hands away from the tie. "I'll do this..."

Daniel smiled at him. "Thanks, Mark"

Mark was about to tell him not to talk, but decided not to. There was no point, not with a man like Daniel. He was too stubborn for his own good, and would continue to talk anyway. "Well, that's alright" Mark soon got rid of the tie and Daniel slipped off his suit jacket while Mark got on with unbuttoning Daniel's shirt. "Come on, you have to stand up now"

Daniel shook his head. "No, I like it on here. I thought I had a soft bed but this one is so much better" He laid back on the bed so he was facing the ceiling. Mark sighed, feeling his irritation with Daniel rising as he pulled the suit trousers down past Daniel's legs and finally off. He folded up all the clothes and placed them on a chaise lounge where he also found himself sitting. It was either there or the bed, and Mark much preferred to keep his distance from Daniel.

"Mark..." Daniel called out. It was easy to ignore the first time he did it, but by the time his name had been called over eight times, Mark had had enough.

"Whatever it is, I don't want to know! Just bloody well shut up, this is hard enough as it is having to babysit you all night!" Mark snapped.

"I was just going to tell you that I feel a bit...sick" Daniel propped himself up on his arms, and Mark was alarmed when he saw how queasy Daniel looked. He glanced around the room until his eyes fell upon the ugly vase that had been a gift from a client. He carried it over to Daniel and sat by him.

"Here, if you have to throw up do it in this vase. At least then I'll have an excuse to throw the hideous thing away"

"It is pretty vile, I have to say. The person who made this must be off their rocker or colour-blind" Daniel stated.

Mark laughed, and Daniel laughed with him. There was a moment where all the tension seemed to just fade away. They were just two men, sharing a funny moment. Mark cleared his throat and took the smile off his face. He should not be amused. It was not a funny situation at all. He hated Daniel. Hated him with a fierce intensity. He could not afford to lose sight of that. "Right. Well, yes..." He started to shift himself off the bed, but Daniel grabbed hold of his hand tightly.

"Just stay with me, Mark. After we fell out over Kaori-"

"_Kiyomi_. Her name is Kiyomi" Mark spoke through gritted teeth. He could not believe Daniel had brought up his ex-fiancé.

."Oh, right. Yeah, sure...I guess I got her mixed up with another woman" Daniel shrugged lightly. "Anyway, I was jealous. Really fucking jealous. I had to take her away from you, because it wasn't fair"

"It wasn't...fair? What wasn't fair, Daniel? I thought you were happy shagging anything with a pulse. You never were like me. I wanted to be in love, settle down, marry and start a family. It might not mean much to you, but it was what _I_ wanted more than anything else. And you ruined it..."

"I was jealous of her..."

Mark stared at Daniel with his dark brown eyes devoid of warmth. "You really are a selfish bastard. You don't even have the guts to own up to your mistakes. Instead, you're pretending that you were jealous of her? That doesn't even make sense. You think I'll believe you? All you're doing is lying to me. Although yes you are good at being a liar, aren't you Daniel?"

Daniel shook his head slowly and then sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "It's not a lie. I was jealous of her. I've always had a thing for you, Mark. I like women, you know that but I'd make an exception for you. I never just saw you as my best friend. Why would I make something like this up? That would be pretty low, even by my standards. It's the truth. You're fucking amazing, Mark. Everything about you is so...perfect"

"So kiss me..." Mark replied, smiling slightly as a look of shock crossed Daniel's face. "If you like me, then prove it" Mark was certain Daniel would back away, as Mark took it one step further by leaning closer to the other dark haired man. However, Daniel did not back away and their lips met. Mark froze, unsure of what to do. He had not thought Daniel was being serious about liking him. And as Daniel started to kiss him with more fervour, Mark responded with an equal keenness. It did feel good. As good as kissing Bridget made him feel. It was a little different of course. Daniel's lips were more dry than Bridget's lips were, his skin less soft. As they kissed, and Daniel's hands started to wander Mark idly thought about pushing Daniel away, but it was a thought soon dismissed. Although he knew he should stop it. They were both a bit drunk. Before tonight, the thought of being intimate with a man had not entered his mind. And a part of Mark still hated what Daniel had done to him. Yet now he was seeing Daniel in a different light. And Mark was having fun. It seemed like such a long time since he had last had some fun. All he did lately was work on his cases.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Daniel asked, staring at him intently.

Mark's mind flashed back to the time when Bridget had said he was too uptight. He wondered what she would think if she could see him now. He felt bad for what he was doing, even though him and Bridget had broken up. And this would take his and Daniel's ex-friendship to somewhere entirely unexpected. Still, none of this was going to stop him. He knew it was a bad idea, but he was going to go through with it anyway. For once he would just go with the flow. And in a way, he felt freer somehow. There was still tension between him and Daniel, but it was altered now. Less hostile, more exciting. Mark could tell that Daniel wanted him, and it gave him a thrill. And he wanted Daniel too. "Yes, I'm sure..."

**Thanks for reading and I'd love to know what you thought of the story :)**


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